‘I can rebuild a business, but I cannot rebuild a life’
Historic Neir’s Tavern in Woodhaven temporarily closes due to coronavirus crisis
The exterior of Neir’s Tavern in 2016. Photo courtesy of Flickr user The Whistling Monkey
Making Sense of the Census
This Census Day,
Let’s Mobilize
New York City
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | APRIL 3-APRIL 9, 2020 13
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
Historic Neir’s Tavern is temporarily
closing due to the nationwide social
distancing guidelines getting extended
to the end of April in order to prevent the
further spread of COVID-19.
“Today, as the owner New York City’s
oldest bar and grill, I fall back on my 10-
year principle people over profit,” said
Loycent Gordon, the owner of the 191-
year-old restaurant located on 87-48 78th
St. in Woodhaven.
Tuesday, March 31 (or what many
know as Takeout Tuesday) was its last
operating day until the social distancing
mandate is lifted.
Gordon said that his business diligently
worked to transition to the statewide
takeout and delivery model by using
online ordering, online gift cards,
foregoing all owner salary, and almost
immediately created a GoFundMe page
for their staff — which raised $5,000 in
less than a week.
But Gordon believes that as the virus
continues to spread, remaining open
under the mandated structure may still
cause undue risk to his staff and guests,
and jeopardize the long-term viability “of
the Neir’s Tavern we know and love.”
“I’ve fought for Neir’s Tavern for over
11 years and if this closure saves one life,
then it’s worth it to throw away 190 years
of continuous operation,” Gordon said.
“We have entered into a new paradigm.”
Gordon added that with the money
raised through GoFundMe and government
assistance they can apply for, they
will keep staff on payroll as long as possible
“so they have nothing to worry
about.”
“I am a socially conscious entrepreneur
that understands I can rebuild a
business, but I cannot rebuild a life,”
Gordon said.
He hopes his fellow local businesses
will do the same.
“I call on the local business community
to evaluate your own personal
situation to ensure the present business
climate and mandated business model
aligns with your values,” Gordon said.
Gordon is also calling for delivery
apps to work with local restaurants.
Last week, he advocated for Uber Eats
and other delivery apps to be transparent
with the messages they’re sending
to restaurant owners during this pandemic.
A fellow local business owner felt
cheated after he found he was still
charged a 30 percent commission fee in
his weekly report from Uber Eats, even
though he thought that fee would be
waived after seeing the news that Uber
Eats and other delivery apps like Grubhub
announced changes to their conditions
to assist struggling restaurants
during this time.
“I call on delivery apps to work with
local restaurants you’ve built a billiondollar
business on the backs of,” he
said.
By Julie Menin, Director of NYC Census
2020.
Don’t be fooled — April 1st may have
a reputation for pranks, but it’s also one
of the most important dates for the 2020
Census. Why? Because April 1st is Census
Day.C
ontrary to popular belief, Census
Day is not the final day (or the only day)
that you can respond to the census. If you
haven’t filled it out yet, don’t worry, you
still have time (although there’s no time
like the present).
So what is Census Day? It actually
serves a practical purpose. To make sure
all our census data has a standard reference
point, everyone is asked to fill out the
census with information that reflects their
households at the same moment, April 1st.
This is why we can say the census is like a
snapshot of our communities.
But this Census Day, we’re also taking
time to recognize the importance of
the census. In these difficult times, many
of us are looking for ways that we can help
support our communities, and filling out
the census is one of the most vital ways to
help shape our future for the better. Now
more than ever, as we face the COVID-19
pandemic, we need a complete count so our
communities can get the funding we need
for hospitals & healthcare, as well as the
data we need to respond to emergencies.
And since we can do the census online, by
phone, or by mail, we can get counted while
practicing social distancing.
Join us and spread the word. New Yorkers
will be posting the Census Day challenge
online — and we need you involved.
It’s as easy as sharing your census story or
a picture on social media and tagging three
friends, challenging them to complete the
2020 Census and pass the challenge along
to another three people. (Visit nyc.gov/census
to learn more and follow the conversation
via the hashtag #GetcountedNYC). So
if you’ve been putting off any texts or meaning
to check in with anyone, let Census Day
be your push to reach out. Your community
will thank you for it.
So get counted, challenge your friends,
and let’s make it count.
“Making Sense of the Census” is a
weekly column from Julie Menin, Director
of NYC Census 2020. Every week we
will be publishing pieces from Julie and
guest authors laying out the facts and
answering tough questions about this
year’s census. Fill out the census now at
my2020census.gov.
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